William dieter



W. DIETER.

STARTING VALVE FOR TORPEDOES.

APPLICATION Fun) FEB. 1. 1918.

1,303,045. Patnted May 6,1919,

15 v A u h.

1 F F S w 1? +2 INVENTOR, WITNESS: JV' a/w zr flux/ By Attorneys,

50 ing the required limited communication torpedoes.

UNITED S ATES PATENT oFIo ILLIAM nIErER, or BROOKLYN, NEW ORK, ASSIGNOR T0 E. w. BLISS COMPANY, or BROOKLYN, EW YORK, A CORPORATION or WEST VIRGINIA.

STARTING-VALVE FOR- TORPEDOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 19 19.

Application filed February 7, 1918, Serial No. 215,786.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM D1ETER,' a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of King's, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting-Valves for Torpedoes, 'of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides an improved construction of starting valve for automobile The patent of F. M. Leavitt, No. 1,064,349, of June 10, 1913, illustrates a starting valve of the type on which my present invention 7 sheet metal which is cut is based. Such a valve is characterized by a combined tappet and piston or plunger, the latter being of an area overbalancing the tappet, the unbalanced area being on the inlet side, so that the tendency of the inlet pressure is to open the valve, but this tendency is; normally overcome by the admission of inlet pressure to opposite sides of the plunger; and an auxiliary means is provided for relieving the pressure from such other side to permit the unbalanced inlet pressure to open the valve under the conditions'required for starting the torpedo. In the patent last referred to, this latter means is a control valve which is opened by the movement of the starting arm or hook as the torpedo starts moving through the launching tube. In an earlier patent to F. M. Leavitt, No. 880,030, February 25, 1908, the means for escaping pressure to open the starting valve is a capsule of thin at the starting of the torpedo. r

In such valves heretofore the pressure has been balanced on opposite sides of the plun v through or around the plunger for insuring the correct operation of the starting valve,

.or static condition is now used, becomes by leakage. The is designed to overcome pressure and remains seated during the early part of the run of the torpedo and until the pressure falls to a determined amount. This auxiliary valve thus prevents the leakage of air which heretoforehas occurred through-or around the starting valve plunger and. which, with thehigher pressure a serious loss. The accompanying drawing shows a preferred embodiment of the invention.

F gure 1 is a vertical longitudinal midsectlon of the starting valve and accessories; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the valve. Referring to the drawings,,A is the valve shell of the starting valve, having the usual inlet B for admitting air from the compressed air flask or reservoir; 0 is the outlet, which in the normal or static condition is closed by a valve proper or tappet D closing against a seat E. The tappet D is connected to a plunger F which works in a cylindrical chamber G, which chamber is closed by a cap H in the usual manner. The movable valve member F D is pressed down initially bya spring .I. packing ring or other packing of the piston type is applied to the plunger at J in order to make a substantially leak-tight joint between the plunger and the cylinder wall. For liberatlng the pressure above the plunger to open the valve a control valve is shown which is of the same construction as in Patent N 0. 1,064,349, and which, being Well known in the art, requires no description. This valve K is operated by the starting arm L through an intermediatelever M, being held open by a bolt N, as fully described insaid patent. Normally the pressure is equalized on op posite sides of the plunger F 'n order that the pressure abovemay lloldthe valve'close'd.

To accomplish this equalization a communicating duct must be provided, which heretofore has been in the form of a minute hole drilled through the plunger. This hole, after the opening of the valve, permits a constant out-blow of compressed air which leaks away and is lost. According to the present invention, a special duct P is provided communicating from beneath the plunger F to the chamber above it, and a valve Q is arranged-to control this duct, being normally pressed open by. a springR, and adapted to close against 2. seats to stop the flow of compressed air through the duct when the pressure is relieved above the plunger. For this purpose the valve Q is rranged with reference to the duct so that t closes after the manner ofa check valve .with the first rush of air from beneath to above the plunger. In the specific construction shown, the duct P is drilled vertically through the valve shell and counterbored to form enlarged chambers above and below, and a cross duct P is drilled to communicate from the inlet side of the valve to such lower chamber, and a cross duct P? to afford similar communication to the cylinder G above the plunger, these latter ducts being closed by. plugs T T. The valve Q is introduced from below and the lower chamber closed by a screw or cap U. The valve stem Q extends through the duct P and its upper end car'- ries' a head V which has a flange receiving the pressure of the spring R, and this spring reacts upwardly against a plug or cap W which closes the top chamber above the duct P. When the valve Q is open, as shown, there is free communication between itand the seat S, and around or through the valve stein to the cross duct 1. To afl'ord such communication the stem Q is drilled through, as shown, forming an inner duct X, but this is notessential.

Before launching the torpedo the starting valve is held closed by the pressure of compressed air above the plunger F pressing downwardly upon an unbalanced area equal to that of the'seat E; at launching, the control valve K is opened and ermits an escape of pressure from cylinder above the plun-. ger, whereupon the full pressure beneath, acting on the greater area of the plunger, forces the latter up and lifts the tappet fromits seat, thus throwing the starting .valve open. The auxiliary valve Q is initially open and for an instant there is a powerful outflow of compressed air through ports P, X, P and from the valve cylinder G" through the tube leadin to valve K;- almost instantly this outflow orces the valve Q to its' seat and holds it there against the pressure of the spring R. The valve Q thus rem ns closed until the pressure inthe air flask has fallen to such extent that thepressure against valve Q is less than the opposof the plunger should preferably occur when v the flask pressure falls to about 1000 pounds per square inch.

The valve Q thus notonly prevents undue waste of compressed air while the latter is under a very high pressure, but establishes such conditions as insure the correct control of the starting valvebythe control valve K, so that at any period in the run of the, torpedo if the valve K be closed (as by cen-I trifugal action in case of the overspeeding of the en ine) there will instantl follow such upbuilding of. pressure in cy inder G above the plunger F as will quickly close the starting valve and stop the torpedo. At the higher pressures, while valve Q is closed, such u building of pressure is due to the inevita leslight leakage past the plunger F (it being impossible to make the packing rings J so tight as to avoidthis leakage) but at the lower pressures the leakage past the plunger would be insuflicient to close the valve with suflicient' promptness, and at this time the valve Q being open, free communication is afforded between opposite sides of the plunger through the ducts P and X.

The preferred construction of the valve Q andits appurtenances is that shown, but this construction. may be greatly varied, it being within the invention to use any suitable construction of valve which is held open by spring pressure or equivalent force, and

.which is closed by the flow of air through the duct P. I The details of construction may be greatly modified without departi from the invention, While it is prefera" le toform the duct P through the casing of the valve, yet it maybe located in any convenient place provided it affords the requisite communication between the inlet side of the starting valve and the opposite side of the plun er. f

I c aim as my inventipn 1. In a starting valve of the type comprising a tappet and connected plunger and openedby the release of pressure from the opposite side of the plunger,.the combination with the valve shell, tappet, and plunger, of an auxiliary valve adapted to control a duct communicating between opposite sides of the plunger, said valve being normally open and adapted to be closed automatically upon such release of ressure by the flow from the tappet side to t e opposite waste through such duct.

2. A starting valve according to claim 1,-

wherein the auxiliary valve has a springwhichnormally holds it open, and is adapted tobe closed by the flow of fluid. through said duct. 13o

3. A start-in valve according to claim 1, chamber engaging the stem to press the wherein the va ve-shell is formed with such Valve open. 15

duct throughits wall, and with lateral ducts 5. A starting valve according to claim 4,

connecting said duct on opposite sides of'the with caps to close the respective enlarged auxiliary valve with the chambers on oppochambers.- s'ite sides of the plunger. 6. A starting valve according to claim 1,

4. A starting valve according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary valve has a spring for 20 wherein the valve-shell is formed with such opening it of such stress as to open this valve duct through its wall, and with enlarged upon a predetermined fall of pressure.

chambers at opposite ends thereof, the aux- In witness whereof I have hereunto signed iliary valve located in one such chamber) my name. with its stem passing through the duct into theother chamber, and a spring in the latter WILLIAM DIETER. 

